(simply known as AOL, originally known as America Online) is an American multinational mass media corporation based in New York, a subsidiary of Verizon Communications.

The company owns and operates websites such as The Huffington Post, Tech Crunch and Engadget, AOL was one of the early pioneers of the Internet in the mid-1990s, and the most recognized brand on the web in the U. It originally provided a dial-up service to millions of Americans, as well as providing a web portal, e-mail, instant messaging and later a web browser following its purchase of Netscape. AOL rapidly declined thereafter, partly due to the decline of dial-up to broadband.

Kimsey soon began to groom Case to take over the role of CEO, which he did when Kimsey retired in 1991.

During this time, AOL connections would be flooded with users trying to get on, and many canceled their accounts due to constant busy signals.

A commercial featuring Steve Case telling people AOL was working day and night to fix the problem was made.

Gerald Levin, who had served as CEO of Time Warner, was CEO of the new company. Michael Kelly (from AOL) was the Chief Financial Officer, Robert W.

Pittman (from AOL) and Dick Parsons (from Time Warner) served as Co-Chief Operating Officers.At the height of its popularity, it purchased the media conglomerate Time Warner in the largest merger in U. AOL was eventually spun off from Time Warner in 2009, with Tim Armstrong appointed the new CEO.Under his leadership, the company invested in media brands and advertising technologies.After the company parted ways with Apple in October 1989, Quantum changed the service's name to America Online.From the beginning, AOL included online games in its mix of products; many classic and casual games were included in the original Play Net software system.Within three years, AOL's user base grew to 10 million people.